Des Soeurs
by LittleSleepySheep
Summary: A visit to the renaissance faire gone wrong, Brynna is suddenly dropped into Middle Earth without warning or any clue as to what's happened. Which, to some, may seem pretty awesome. Except for the fact that her less than adventerous friend Lena is being dragged along for the ride too. Now somehow, she has to protect Lena, fight orcs, and, oh yeah, deal with all these crazy dwarves!
1. Into the Woods

Chapter One: Into the Woods!

'_Ridiculous.'_

It was the only word she could think of to describe what she was seeing.

'_Truly ridiculous.'_

A few yards away, Lena was still was still asleep in a leaf pile much like the one Brynna had woken up in. She'd already tried to wake her friend, spending nearly ten minutes shaking and calling her, but the girl just wouldn't budge. It was strange, Lena had never been a heavy sleeper, but her even breathing and calm face kept Brynna from getting too worried.

No, she was far too preoccupied at the moment with trying to figure out why of earth she'd woken up, still dressed in her faire clothes, and in the middle of the woods.

'_Why us? Why does this kind of thing always happen to us?'_

Of course, all things considered, that was a bit of an exaggeration. These things didn't _always_ happen to them. It wasn't that they were generally prone to confusing or dangerous situations, or waking up in places they didn't remember getting to, but if things could go wrong, they usually did.

This, however, was crossing the line.

Brynna looked back over her shoulder at her still-sleeping friend. Her legs were all tangled in her burgundy skirts, feet just poking out at the bottom, and her hair was absolutely ruined, splayed around her in a chocolate brown mess. She frowned at the sight, remembering back to the hours it had taken her with a curling iron to get the each curl just right. And now look at them.

Truth be told, though, Brynna couldn't really care less about the state of her friend's hair. She couldn't imagine what her own must look like, though if the hand she'd attempted to rake through it was any indication, it wasn't pretty either.

Throwing one last quick glance at the forest surrounding her, she huffed and gathered up her own skirts before returning to her best friend's side.

"I'm sorry, Lena," she whispered, settling down beside her and reaching over to begin picking leaves and sticks out of the other girl's long hair. She knew this wasn't necessarily her fault, per se, but she did feel some responsibility. It had, after all, been Lena's first time to the renaissance faire. She'd been nervous and hesitant, but had eventually given in to Brynna's prodding, trusting that she would look out for her. And she had let her down.

"I'll get us out of this, I promise. We'll be fine, just you wait and see," she vowed, hoping with all her heart that she would be able to do just that. She wasn't completely useless in the woods, but she was no woodsman either. That had been her father. All in all though, she knew she could keep them going for a few days. After that, she wasn't so sure. She'd just have to hope she could get them home before that.

Sighing, she let her fingers run one more time through Lena's hair before she stood and placed her hands on her hips. She was no expert and no hunter, but she knew with some familiarity nearly all the woods in her general area. The faire hadn't been too far from her home, and though she clearly had no idea how they'd gotten there, she also figured that they couldn't be too far out in the middle of nowhere.

She looked around her, eyes trained for any of the land marks she usually used – certain mountain peaks, an unusual tree formation, rivers – but to her dismay, she could find none. Thinking she was maybe just at a bad angle, she wandered some, though slowly and always making sure to keep Lena within view. It didn't help though, and as time dragged on, she came to the realization that they were truly and utterly lost. She didn't know these woods, didn't know the area, and those thoughts sent her heart pounding.

A sudden thought hit her though, and she twisted to reach at the leather pouch belted at her waist. It wasn't large, but it had been enough for her to store her money, phone, a few spare band aids (because knowing her and Lena, _someone_ was bound to get hurt). If she could get her phone, she could call someone, or even attempt at getting a GPS location, and maybe they could be out of there in just a few hours!

To her further shock and rising sense of panic, however, she found the pouch to be completely empty. Nothing. Nada. Not her phone, not her cash, not even one obnoxiously colored plastic bandage strip.

Heart racing, she returned as quickly as she could to her friend, making a valiant effort to calm her herself. Lena was still lying there quietly, but Brynna had no idea when she would wake and the last things she needed was to scare her even more by not appearing in control. When it came to them, it had always been Brynna's job to play the protective one. She was older, if only by a year and a half, but to her it mattered. Lena was naturally whimsical and child-like in disposition, and though Brynna could be just as free-spirited as her friend, she was the calmer of the two. When things went wrong, she handled them, and this would be no different.

Sitting back down at Lena's side, Brynna had to think of a plan. Judging by the faint hints of pink and orange that were already beginning to paint they sky, night would be on them soon enough. There was little she would be able to do with the hour or two they had before nightfall, but by morning Lena would likely be up, and they could start moving. She knew by then she could figure out which way was east, and with any luck their position wasn't too far off course of her home.

Until then, she would stay vigilant. She didn't have the means at present to build a fire, but she did have her bodice dagger (initially bought for show, but she'd use it if she had to) and better hearing than most. With any luck, she wouldn't need to use either.

* * *

By morning light, Brynna was able to heave a sigh of relief. Very little had disturbed her in the night, save for the occasional squirrel or curious deer. To her great concern though, Lena still wouldn't wake. She'd tried shaking her again not long after dawn, but to no avail. She tried calling her (though albeit, rather quietly given the fact that she wasn't so comfortable in woods she didn't know), pinching her, and just about anything else she could think of, but she wouldn't stir.

It was nearly two hours past dawn by Brynna's count when she decided that awake, or asleep, she and Lena needed to start moving. She didn't want to spend anymore nights out there than needed and the sooner they could find some source of water, the better off they would be as a whole.

Quietly as she could, Brynna rose to stand, stretching out her limbs and back which had grown stiff after sitting so still and watchful all night long. Looking down at Lena, she let out a long sigh. If anything happened to her, if there was something was wrong or somehow she'd gotten hurt, Brynna would never forgive herself.

Doing her best not to jostle her friend, Brynna reached down and slid her arms under Lena's shoulders. Once she had a good grip on her, she maneuvered Lena over her shoulders and on to her back. All the skirts made to movement a little tricky, but before long she had her settled and balanced and ready to move.

Her first few steps were slow and awkward, but before long Brynna had built up a rhythm. Her own skirts kept her pace slower than she would have liked, but she still wasn't entirely sure she was going in the right direction, so caution kept her from minding. She'd spent the time between dawn and when they'd set off watching the sun. From its movement across the sky she'd been able to roughly determine their direction, and that would have to do for now.

Hours passed. Brynna's stomach had begun to rumble not long after setting off, but she refused to stop before finding water. Once there, she could lay Lena back down and scour the area for any sort of edible plant life. Until then, she had to keep going.

It was late afternoon by the time Brynna's ears finally picked up on the gurgling of running water. It was still a long ways off, but she sighed with relief and her stomach let out a particularly demanding growl at the promise the sound held. Lena was still fast asleep on her back, but Brynna refused to think of what might be wrong with her friend. She needed to get then out of the woods, then she could worry.

"Just a little farther, Lena. We can do this," she whispered as she trudged on.

She made her way as swiftly as she could towards the sound, which was, admittedly, not really that swift at all. The hours spent without break and with her friend on her back, not to mention the lack of any food or water, had tired her and slowed her down. Fatigue was settling in her arms and legs and her back was beginning to ache with the weight, but she fought it. By the time she'd stumbled into view of the river, she was ready to collapse.

Settling Lena down as gently as she could, she spared her friend a long, concerned look before finally dropping down beside her.

* * *

The next time Brynna opened her eye, it was dark. After a brief moment of panic, her memory returned to her and she cursed herself for letting herself nod off without realizing it. Turning quickly as she could, her eyes searched the darkness relentlessly until she found Lena, still sleeping and right where she'd left her.

Letting out a long breath, Brynna leaned back on her hands as she watched the wood around them. It was quiet and still, no squirrels or deer to disrupt the quiet or give Brynna a heart attack when they snuck up on her.

It wasn't until a few long moments later that Brynna realized the lack of animals might not be a good sign. The night before there had been squirrels and deer in abundance. She had even caught sight of a fox once or twice. Now, there were no animals, and by a river no less. Given all the general rules of the wilds, all reason said that the river would be the best place for animals to be gathering, day or night. And yet there were not.

Suddenly on high alert, Brynna scooted closer to Lena, and trained her eyes on the trees surrounding them. It was on her third pass when she noticed the light gleaming through the trees not far at their backs. Squinting her eyes, she rubbed them briefly just to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

But she wasn't. The light was still there when her eyes focused again. It was a bright, yellow glow that radiated and flashed between the trunks, rising and falling in intensity with every shift of the breeze.

'_A campfire.'_ Brynna thought.

Now she found herself with a whole new dilemma. There was a campsite nearly nine yards away, and where there was a campsite, there were people. People that could either help them, or hurt them, and it was suddenly up to her as to how to deal with this new discovery.

She looked down at Lena. She couldn't deny that something was wrong with her friend. She hated to consider what that might be, but she also had to think that whoever occupied that campsite might be able to help her, or at least get her to safety. Of course, there was also the possibility that whoever was there might also pose a threat, and Lena's life was not something so was willing to risk.

Still…Brynna bit at her lip. What was she supposed to do? Risk her and her best friend's life by approaching strangers, or continue on in only God knows what direction hoping to find civilization while they both weakened from lack of food and water and exposure.

'_Lena, what am I to do?'_ she wished desperately that her friend was awake and with her. She could tell her to hide, stay out of sight while she went to investigate. But she was still asleep, oblivious to what was going on and the trouble they were in.

Turning back to glow through the trees, Brynna set her teeth in resolve. She had to do something, she had to get help.

Getting to her feet, she reached down to pick up Lena, cradling her in her arms as she looked around her for a place to conceal her while she was gone. She found a small gathering of rocks next a great bundle of brush and carefully laid her down in it. With any luck, the brushes would hide her for the most part, and it was better than leaving her out in the open.

'_Hold on, Lena. I'll be back for you soon.'_

Feeling only marginally better, Brynna turned back to the light. Trodding as quietly as she could, she crouched down and began to slowly approach the camp.

She kept her eyes and ears perked at all times, listening for the slightest change in her surroundings, be it the wind, animals, or anything else that might give anything away. But the night remained still. As she neared the camp, voices floated toward her, high, merry voices laughing, singing, and chattering away. There was the shuffling of many feet, and for a moment she paused, trying to see if she could count them.

She couldn't though, not from her distance. Daring even closer, she could begin to see shapes and shadows through the trees. The voices grew louder and Brynna could clearly tell that the strangers she was coming up on were of some sort of party. Probably some rowdy group of teenagers sneaking out into the woods to drink.

The voices grew in volume as some joke was made and laughter broke out. It was a nice sound to hear after an entire day and night in the near-silence of the woods, and it almost made Brynna feel better about her choice. Whoever they were surely sounded friendly, she could only hope that they were as nice in person.

So preoccupied with the voices was she, that she didn't notice that movement just behind her in the wood. The shuffling as someone closed in on her, the eyes on her back. She was just on the edge of the camp when all the voices suddenly ceased. Not a sound was made. Her heart picked up pace. Something was wrong. She strained her ears, but found nothing. Her eyes, so used to the firelight now, could see nothing in the darkness around her as they darted back and forth searching for something to explain the sudden change.

It was then that he lunged for her. Before she knew what was happening, she felt herself being thrown into the lightened clearing of the camp, landing with a gasp on her back and weight landing on top of her not a second later. She drew a quick, shallow breathe as she opened her eyes only to find herself staring the up at the pointed end of a sword and a feral face surrounded by a flurry of blond hair.


	2. Dwarves as Far as the Eye Can See

Chapter Two: Dwarves as Far as the Eye Can See

Brynna's first instinct was to scream. Which she did, quite loudly as she flailed violently against him, trying desperately to throw off her assailant. She thrashed against his hold in panic, arms and legs kicking, slapping, and punching whatever they could get at.

All in all, it probably wasn't the wisest reaction. After all, she was staring down the wrong end of his blade, but at the time her mind held little room for logic once the need to survive kicked in. It was really only by sheer dumb luck that her maniacal flailing and thrashing knocked him enough for him to drop his sword, causing him to yelp out in surprise when another one of her arms came around and clunked him hard enough in the shoulder for him to stare wildly back at her in shock. One more well-placed knee, and a pain-filled groan escaped her captor as he clumsily scuttled off of her as fast as he could.

Without even sparing him a second glace, Brynna got her feet back under herself and made a mad dash for the woods. She could hear shouts and calls resounding from the clearing behind her, but she still didn't look back. She had to get back to Lena and get them both far, far away from here. This had been a bad idea – a _very_ bad idea.

'_Stupid! Stupid!'_

She was just about to break through the tree line when a hand grabbed her by the scruff of her chemise. This time it held tight though; despite her renewed struggles, it didn't budge a hair. Instead, a deep, masculine voice chuckled as she was dragged stumbling backwards towards the camp by her collar. They stopped, however, after only a few feet, where Brynna was dropped rather ungracefully on her rump.

"Would you look at that, brother!" her captor called. At the startling note of humor that filled his voice, Brynna whipped her head around to look up at him.

He still had a hold on her collar, though lose and relaxed like it didn't concern him that she might make another attempt at bolting, and it took her a minute in the dim light to realize that this man was not the same as the one who'd thrown her into the clearing in the first place. This one had long dark hair that surrounded a good-nature and – dare she believe her eyes? – _smiling_ face, though she couldn't see all of it for his attention was cast back over his shoulder at a lump currently curled up on the ground. There were other figures coming to crowd around the lump, though between the lighting and the angle she was sitting at, she couldn't really make out much or how many.

"The only time you can find a woman, is if she's sneaking around the woods at night, and even then she runs!" her current captor continued, a highly amused laughter rumbling in his chest.

"Not funny," the lump, who was finally starting uncurl himself, hissed back. This of course, only made the man next to her laugh even more. A laughter that was high and pleasant, but cut rather short when an infuriated voice cut through the commotion.

"What in Durin's name is going on here?" it yelled, causing the smile on her captor's face to falter briefly, and her own stomach to drop, filling with another bought of terror. Her captor's smile, however, returned within a seconds, though not quite so fully.

"Uncle!" he called, a strange sense of glee still ringing in his voice. The only sense Brynna was feeling, however, was dread. Something that only intensified as the angry footsteps grew nearer. "Come and look at what Fili's caught!"

And caught was certainly what she felt when her eyes fell upon the maker of the angry footfalls. He was taller than most of the other figures she'd noticed, but his face was hard and cold, completed by the scowl on his lips and a mass of dark hair that all together made her want to run and hide. Had the other man's hand not still been grasping her shit, she might have done just that. She briefly considered trying to wiggle her way free, but when his eyes met hers, she tensed like a rabbit staring down a wolf.

A deep chuckle filled the clearing as a very, _very_ tall old man dressed in grey strode in behind the much shorter, much angrier figure. Brynna couldn't for the life of her find anything funny about her situation, but then again, never before had she ever seen a man so tall. Maybe he was just a funny fellow.

"Caught, indeed! And what a special catch it is!" the old man chimed, sounding even more gleeful than her current captor. "Surely even you can see that, Thorin. Special, most certainly!"

This 'Thorin' obviously didn't see things in quite the same way, for his scowl only deepened as he approached her and who would appear to be his nephew. Though what could be so terribly special about her was just about as lost to her as it would seem to be to him. She probably looked like the worst mess of a girl he'd ever seen, lost and blatantly terrified. Hardly special, more like absolutely mental.

He stopped only a few short feet away, continuing to glare down at her with harsh blue eyes. She had to force her breathing into a decently normal pattern as he scrutinized her, though failed miserably. His arms were crossed over his broad chest and his feet were set apart in an obvious stance of leadership that did nothing positive for her nerves.

Her captor, however, seemed undaunted.

"You should have seen her, Uncle," the glee still apparent in his voice. "She tossed Fili right off her! And kicked him hard enough that he won't likely be forgetting it anytime soon!"

She assumed his words had been meant to lessen the tension of the situation, but they only seemed to accomplish the opposite. Thorin's eyes harden as they continued to watch her and his scowl turned to a snarl.

"But certainly such actions can be forgiven," the old man intervened. "After all, what else should a young woman do if she is tackled in the woods at night by a stranger?"

"Why she was in the woods in the first place is what I'd like to know," Thorin bit back. "Particularly why it is that she was skulking around our camp."

A brief, irrational annoyance flared up in Brynna's chest at the statement and before she could bite her tongue she snapped heatedly, "I wasn't _skulking_. I was _lost_. There's a _difference!_"

Instantly she regretted saying anything though, as an even more tense silence fell. Thorin, still glaring, raised an eyebrow at her. Suddenly fearing she'd far overstepped some boundary, her face paled, her heart began to pound in her ears and the silence continued. All eyes were on her as her panic filled her. What were they going to do with her? It was apparent by their leader's stance that her presence alone offended him, and now she'd just stupidly yelled at him too. Any one of them could do anything and they were so far deep in the woods that no one would ever know.

'_And then Lena would be all alone.'_

That thought only added to her fear. What would Lena do when she woke up _– if she woke up_ – only to find herself alone and lost in an unknown forest? She would panic, she would cry, and she was far from knowing to care of herself in such an environment. She would get hurt! Or killed! Or –

"What is your name, girl?" the leader demanded, breaking Brynna from her inner turmoil. Brynna only stared up at him, blue eyes wide and limbs shaking.

"Don't make me ask you again," he nearly growled. Her eyes quickly flashed from Thorin's face to the old wizard standing just behind him. His face was kind and calm as he smiled reassuringly down at her. That alone was the only thing that helped her fine her voice.

"Brynna. My name is Brynna." She said shakily, her eyes returning to Thorin's face. The admittance didn't seem to do anything for his scowl though.

"Tell me then, Brynna, why it was that you were _skulking _around my camp?"

This time, she did bite her tongue. "I told you, I was _lost_. I didn't mean any harm, I just saw the light and – "

"You were looking for help!" her captor exclaimed, releasing his hold on her shirt so that he could turn his full attention down at her. "And all Fili did was terrify you!"

"I was doing my job!" a voice defended from the group that had come to surround them. A blond-haired man stepped forward and Brynna recognized him immediately as the one who'd attacked her. "I was keeping watch!"

"Oh yes, and a fine job you did, brother! Just look at the poor girl! She's trembling!" the other jabbed back, a half-teasing, half-scolding. But the fair-haired brother only frowned in return; folding his arms into a stance that much resembled their uncle's and only added to Brynna's anxiety.

"That still doesn't explain what she was doing in the woods in the first place," Thorin stated. The old man let out a deep, long, irritated sigh.

"You do not own the woods, Thorin Oakenshield. Anyone may walk through them as they wish!" A new feeling of tension again settled over the group as Thorin transferred his glare from her to the old man and Brynna was began to wonder how much more of this she could take. She was amazed as it was that her heart hadn't given out yet from all it furious pounding.

"She's given you her explanation, Thorin! How much more will you ask of her before you're satisfied?" the old man continued. "I would hardly think her a spy, she is not even armed! She is probably more in danger of you than you are of her. And since when has it been in your nature to turn you back on your own kin? You've already scared her half to death, what good will further investigation do?"

Thorin was less than thrilled at being scolded by the wizard, particularly in front of their would-be-captive.

"And what do you suggest we do then, _wizard?_" Thorin asked with a stiff jaw.

"Do? I wouldn't have you _do_ anything! I believe you've done quite enough already!"

"Do we just leave her then?" the blond-hair brother suddenly asked, his stern stance deflating as he cast a rather confused, nearly concerned look at his uncle. And though he'd been the one to ask it, the same question was clearly written on almost all the faces that surrounded them.

Thorin paused for a moment, his eyes returning to her, looking her up and down in appraisal.

"I don't think that would be a wise decision," a white-bearded man said from the surrounding group. All eyes turned to him as he strode forward to stand beside Thorin. Had she not been busy panicking and worrying about her possibly horrific fate, Brynna would have probably liked him. He looked like a nice enough guy, with his white beard and red coat. He couldn't be all that bad, right?

"I must agree with the wizard," he continued. "She looks like no spy I have ever seen, just a scared young woman."

Yeah, she liked him. She only hoped that Thorin would listen to him.

But Thorin didn't say anything for a long while. He just watched her with suspicious eyes, occasionally glancing back between his nephews and the other members of his Company. By the time he let out a long sigh – which really sounded much more like a growl if you asked her – Brynna was almost certain her heart was about to give out.

"Fine," he snapped, "Let her do what she wants. If she chooses to stay with us, she may. But only until we pass some place safe enough to leave her. If she wants to leave, then the better off we are without the burden." He cast another look around his men, daring any of them to rebuke him. But none did, they just watched him, and her.

"Well?" the dark-haired brother, who was still situated at her side, asked. She looked up at him with still-wide eyes until she realized that he, and likely everybody else in the clearing, was waiting for an answer.

Brynna scrunched her brow thoughtfully. Did she want to stay with these strange people? I mean, she had no clue who they were, what they were doing in the forest at this time of night, and what they were or were not capable of. Most of them were surely too old to be LARPers, and she hadn't seen any of them at the faire – she surely would have noticed this lot. Could they be trusted? Or better yet, could she bring herself to trust them?

But there was a bigger issue she still had to worry about above her own safety.

Could they possibly help Lena?

Biting her lip, she looked back up at the dark-haired man beside her. "I will stay, I think…" she began slowly. Automatically his face lit up, and his wide smile returned; and damn her if it wasn't just a tinsy bit adorable.

"But…" And his smile faltered again. Chewing again on her lip, she glanced back at their leader. "There's something…wrong with… a friend of mine, but I don't know what. That's why I came looking for help…"

Both concerned and suspicious looked flitted around her on all sides. She knew they likely trusted her about as much as she trusted them – which, admittedly, was very little. Some of them likely though her "friend" could be a ploy, some reason for them to drop their guard if she really was a spy (which, honestly, was a ridiculous assumption. I mean, had they not seen here? She would never last in a battle!). But she didn't care. It was apparent to her that they at least knew where they were, which was more than she could say for herself, and staying with them would likely get her out of these damned woods, but she would not go without Lena. She would not abandon her.

"And where is your friend now?" one of the other men asked. He wasn't one of the ones throwing her mistrusting glances, but he didn't exactly look thrilled either. Still, there was some concern in his eyes and Brynna latched on to that.

"Back in the woods a little," she said, trying to keep her voice as even as possible. Things would seem to be tipping in her favor, but that didn't mean she was just as scared now as she had been before. "I wanted to keep her hidden, just in case…in case something went wrong. I can go get her, and come back. It's not far, and I can carry her. I've been carrying her all day."

What glimpses of concern had already lit his eyes now flared as he watched her with a frown, his funny hat bobbling as he nodded at her. The two brothers mirrored his look, as did a few others in the Company. There were still some though, mostly the older ones as far as she could tell, that didn't seem to buy it.

"You claim not to know what's wrong with her, but you must know something," Thorin spoke up again. He was still tense and his eyes were still cold, eyeing her with caution. "What are her symptoms?"

Brynna frowned at him. Lena didn't have "symptoms" – she just wouldn't wake up.

"I can't wake her," she told him in a small voice. "She just sleeps and sleeps no matter what I do. I know she's alive, she's breathing. But…nothing else."

"If that is the case," the old man suddenly broke in, worry and knowing sketched into the lines in his face, "then it would be best that she is seen to, and soon. I will go with you to fetch you friend."

"And me too!" the man beside her said, suddenly dragging her up by her arms and setting her back on her feet.

His uncle rolled his eyes and gave a heavy sigh. "Kili –"

"No, Uncle, I want to go! She said it's only a little ways into the woods, how dangerous can that be?"

Thorin looked like he wanted very much to tell his nephew exactly how dangerous he though following her into the woods could be, even with the wizard following too. But he held it in at Kili's fierce look of determination. He always had to remind himself that though Kili was young and reckless, he was growing up and he wasn't defenseless or weak.

"Miss Brynna, if you would lead the way," the old wizard said. Brynna cast one most look around at the group gathered in the clearing, eyes momentarily hesitating on the warning glances coming from both their leader and the blond brother, before she scuttled ahead towards the wizard and back into the quiet woods.

Once they were out of hearing distance, Kili clamped his hand on Brynna's shoulder. She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sudden contact, but the gentle look in his face reassured her, if only a little.

"Don't worry too much about Uncle," he said, giving her shoulder a quick pat. "He's not really a bad guy; he's just looking out for the rest of us and our wellbeing." Brynna couldn't quite force herself to smile at him, but she managed something close. It seem to be enough to satisfy him, though, as he drew his hand back with a smile of his own and fell back into step behind her.

As she had said, it didn't take them long for then to reach the place she'd originally settled at by the river. And even in the dark Brynna had very little trouble finding the place she'd hidden her friend. As she heaved Lena's sleeping form into her arms, she chanced a look up at the old man and was far from liking the look on his face. It was grim and thoughtful and left Brynna feeling like there was a hole in her stomach.

Without even asking, Kili came forward and took Lena from Brynna's grasp. She opened her mouth to protest, but shut it quickly when his eyes told her quite clearly that he wasn't going to budge.

"It's probably for the best," the wizard hushed, "for if you were telling the truth and have been carrying her all day – which I have no doubt that you did – then it would be best for you to save what energy you have left, my dear."

'_It still doesn't feel right,'_ she thought glumly as she watched Kili turn back towards the camp, Lena fast asleep and helpless in his arms as he walked away.

As little time as it took for them to make the trip to the river, it seemed to take even less time to make it back. When they reemerged they found that most of the others had settled themselves back around the fire, some talking quietly amongst themselves, others still eyeing her with a wary look.

Kili made straight for the fire, not even looking back to see if Brynna was following. Someone had laid a bedroll out close to the heat of the flames, though not close enough to be dangerous and Kili laid Lena down on it without hesitation. He pulled a blanket up and over her and brushed the hair from her face as some of the others came to gather around.

It suddenly hit Brynna like a stone to her gut how horribly pale Lena looked in the firelight. Lying there, calm and peaceful and so pale with her dark hair splayed around her like a halo, she almost looked…she almost…

This time it was the old man that patted her gently on the shoulder. He looked down at her with a sympathetic smile. She suddenly felt the tears running down her face in a silent decent and brushed them away before anyone else could see. She needed to be strong. Lena would get through this; they were with people who could help her. Brynna just had to stay strong.

"How long has she been like this?" the man with the funny hat asked from where he was squatted at Lena's side.

"I'm not entirely sure…" Brynna answered, suddenly feeling like a horrible friend. How could she not know how long Lena had been asleep for? She'd woken up only just yesterday to find her best friend absolutely dead to the world, but who knows how long they'd been out before that? They could have been there for just a few hours, or maybe even a few days. She had no way of really knowing. "We were at a faire, and I don't remember what happened, just the next thing I know, I'm waking up in the middle of these woods. I don't know how long we were there. I tried to wake her up, but she just wouldn't."

The tears were threatening to take over again, and it took all her determination to keep them at bay.

"Does she have a name?" another one asked. He looked younger than most of the others, though not quite as young as perhaps the leader's two nephews, though it was rather hard to tell. He had moved from his place by the fire to sit beside Lena when Kili had set her down and had been watching her with worry ever since.

"Her name's Lena. She's my best friend, I love her like a sister," Brynna managed to get out. The grey man's hand, still situated on her shoulder, gave a reassuring squeeze.

"We will wait until morning," he said, "If she has not woken by then, we will think of something."

Brynna looked up at him with blurry eyes. "Do you know what's wrong with her?" she asked in a quiet voice.

He gave a heavy sigh. "I believe I may," he said, "But I can only hope that I am wrong."


End file.
